The St. Thomas football team defeated the Valparaiso Beacons 16-10 on Saturday at O’Shaughnessy Stadium, winning its final game of the season and guaranteeing a second-place finish in the Pioneer Football League.
Valparaiso (3-8, 2-6 PFL) put pressure on the Tommies (8-3, 7-1 PFL) and tied the game 10-10 at the end of the third quarter with a 22-yard pass from first-year quarterback Rowan Keefe to senior wide receiver Solomon Davis.
St. Thomas responded by driving down the field, which culminated in junior running back Landon Reed rushing a nine-yard touchdown to secure a 16-10 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. Of the 73 yards the team gained in possession, 56 were run by junior running back Hope Adebayo, who also led the game with 90 rushing yards.
“Even in the big run in the third quarter, I was like ‘How am I not down yet?’” Adebayo said at a postgame press conference. “I’m just super thankful that coach Caruso and all the other coaching staff give me the opportunity to run the ball, and … our O-line was able to keep pursuing that.”
The Beacons had two attempts to tie or outscore the Tommies in the fourth quarter. The first saw Keefe brought down on fourth down at St. Thomas’ 25-yard line, and the second was halted when junior defensive back Yusef Leak knocked down a pass to Davis which ended Valparaiso’s final possession of the game.
In the first half, the Tommies found themselves playing out of their own end zone after ending their first possession with a field goal by sophomore kicker Stephen Shagen.
St. Thomas eventually reached Beacon territory, executing what Caruso characterized as a “doozy” of a touchdown play, a toss-reverse throwback that saw sophomore quarterback Amari Powell throw 30 yards to sophomore tight end Patrick Wagner. Caruso said that the play was also used in last year’s conference championship against Butler, in addition to being unsuccessfully attempted earlier this season against Harvard.
“It’s really worked for us,” Caruso said. “Once you start approaching the strike zone … especially in the red zone, (the tight ends) get targeted quite a bit, but Patrick Wagner did a fantastic job today.”
Valparaiso marched down the field towards the end of the second quarter with a series of multiple first downs, though St. Thomas’ defense combined with decisive third-down penalties to hold them back until the Beacons’ sophomore Ryan Hawk kicked a 38-yard field goal that left the score 10-3 at the half.
The Tommies landed a promising opportunity in the third quarter when a muffed punt at midfield allowed freshman linebacker Ryan Bercich to snag a turnover that, combined with a beneficial 15-yard penalty put them at Valparaiso’s 33-yard line. St. Thomas stalled out, though, unable to gain a first down until their decisive fourth-quarter touchdown.
Hopes for the Tommies’ chances of sharing the PFL championship title were dashed midway through the game with news that Drake — who caused St. Thomas’ only conference loss of the season on Oct. 14 — defeated Butler 13-9 to secure a flawless 8-0 PFL record.
The Tommies’ second-place finish after their celebrated championship win in 2022 meant that the team would be sending off its 21 seniors — who were recognized before the game as part of Senior Day — on a bittersweet note.
“Taking that senior picture with the guys five minutes ago on the field and not having the championship banner in your hands doesn’t feel great,” Caruso said. “It’s just such a great reminder that … if you don’t do your job one day out of the year, you put yourself in the position that we were in, and that’s why we just have to be so diligent and on it all the time.”
Amid a season full of injuries and down-to-the-wire finishes, Caruso said that the players’ ability to adapt and play at their best has become a staple of their identity.
“We found a way to be successful, and I think that’s become our calling card,” Caruso said. “It’s not running the ball; it’s not stopping their runs; it’s not amazing special teams. It’s finding ways to be successful, even when you’re not at your best.”
Kevin Lynch can be reached at lync1832@stthomas.edu.